This building houses one of the oldest Protestant congregations in Minneapolis, Westminster Presbyterian Church, founded in 1857. The style is English Gothic Revival, which means it is in the tradition of European churches of the 12th century such as the Abbey Church of St. Denis in Paris and Westminster Abbey in London. Three large round “rose” windows (north, west, and south sides) and the pointed-arch belfries of the twin towers are characteristic of the style. Though the rough-hewn limestone exterior looks heavy and substantial, the sanctuary is open and airy with a generous wrap-around balcony.

Architect Charles Sedgwick arrived in Minneapolis from Binghamton, New York, in 1884 at a very fortuitous time. Largely due to expansion of the city’s flour milling industry, the population of Minneapolis quadrupled during the 1880s to about 160,000. Building was going on everywhere in the city and architects were extremely busy. Sedgwick would later go on to design the Dayton’s building at 7th and Nicollet. For Westminster, he collaborated with Warren H. Hayes, another opportunistic New Yorker who arrived around the same time.

An addition designed by Minneapolis architect James Dayton will open in early 2018. It will provide flexible spaces for worship, youth, congregational, community gatherings, and underground parking. One-fourth of the new building will house St. David’s Center for Family & Child Development. The wing will be surrounded by new outdoor green spaces.